


calm before the storm

by asapnina



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Imbalance Comics (Avatar), Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Tophling, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:55:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25676959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asapnina/pseuds/asapnina
Summary: Toph’s heart — for some odd, strange reason — flutters at Yaling’s soft voice. She knows that she’s getting close to the truth, that she’s getting close to uncovering the secrets beneath this town. And yet, even if she does uncover them, she wouldn’t mind staying on this beach with Yaling. She wouldn’t mind talking for hours, because the earthbender’s voice is so sweet and soft that it can lull Toph to sleep.
Relationships: Toph Beifong/Yaling
Comments: 5
Kudos: 38





	calm before the storm

**Author's Note:**

> Short Tophling fic for the (not many) members of the nation. Dedicated to YALING BEIFONG group chat mwuah. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy these two idiots that should have ended up together <3

Yaling feels sweat buds swimming their way to the bottom of her chin before falling and dissipating into the sand below her feet. She allows herself a sigh, a small gasp of air, but quickly swallows it. She glances at the girl laying on a beach seat near her, checking if she had noticed the small breath of weakness. If Toph had heard the sigh, she didn’t show it. 

_ Good. She can’t think I’m weak.  _

The earthbender turns back to the small chip of metal stuck in the sand, sneering at the stubborn piece.  _ I can do this _ , she reassures herself. Raising her fist, she pummels into the sand, twisting her hand. She imagines the metal in her hand, she imagines twisting it and rearranging it into a small rose. If she  _ does  _ manage to finally metalbend it, perhaps the rose can be a gift to her Sifu Toph.

As the dust from the sand clears, all hope that festered in Yaling disappears instantly. The metal piece stays intact, in fact, she’s certain it looks even better than before. It’s as if the piece is staring at her, mocking her for not being able to twist it. 

“Ooh, you almost had it that time.” Toph calls from her beach chair, where she lay cooly under shade. 

“I don’t understand why this is so hard!” Yaling groans, flailing her hands up in defeat. 

Toph raises a finger, preparing to lecture. “You gotta be patient, it’s only your first day.” She says. “I tried teaching Aang to metalbend, but he didn’t have the stomach for it. Kid’s a great airbender, but he doesn’t have the feel for metal.”

“Really?” Yaling asks, hope flourishing once more in her stomach. 

She plops down in front of Toph’s chair, settling herself in the sand. The blind girl continues speaking, and Yaling is absolutely fascinated. She’s fascinated by almost everything that Toph says. 

Ever since the girl first metalbent in front of her, she wanted to know everything about her. How did she figure out how to metalbend? When was the first time? How did she meet the Avatar? Would she join Yaling in the rebellion, or not?

That last question, she wants to ask the most.

“Yeah, we’re a lot alike. I could sense that the first time I met you.” Yaling confesses, cozying up closer to the girl.

Toph nods. She curls her fingers above a pit of sand, bending it into a diorama. “Anyway, your mom was really generous, agreeing to help those non-bender-owned businesses. She didn’t have to do that, just because the Avatar asked her to.” 

“My mom  _ is  _ generous. She cares about the future of Cranefish Town. She wants to help people.” 

_ Or, at least that’s what she always tells me.  _ Mother knows best,  _ I guess… _

“I get that, but I gotta say, seeing skilled benders out of work in this city because of the machines those non-bender factories use… It’s okay by me if those machines don’t get fixed right away, you know?”

Yaling stiffens for a moment, the blind girl’s words seeping in. Her cheeks have a sudden color, a crimson red spreading throughout, and she’s grateful that Toph can’t see her. Blushing over some words, what would her mom say? She’d say:  _ You’re being weak, Yaling, toughen up. You’re a  _ **_bender_ ** _.  _

She ignores the small, motherly voice in her head, and instead welcomes the blush. She tilts her head, examining Toph. “I’d be fine with that too…”

Toph’s heart — for some odd, strange reason — flutters at Yaling’s soft voice. She knows that she’s getting close to the truth, that she’s getting close to uncovering the secrets beneath this town. And yet, even if she does uncover them, she wouldn’t mind staying on this beach with Yaling. She wouldn’t mind talking for hours, because the earthbender’s voice is so sweet and soft that it can lull Toph to sleep. 

She harshly pushes those thoughts aside, feeling Yaling stand up from the sand.

“You and the Avatar… are you  _ close _ ?” Yaling asks, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly.

A small, mischievous smirk tugs at the side of Toph’s lips. She’s done it, she’s cracked the girl and is  _ this close _ to gaining her full trust.

But there’s a hidden meaning behind her amusement, one that goes beyond her secret mission. A small voice whispering in her mind, telling her that there’s a double meaning in Yaling’s words too. 

_ Is she asking me if I’m dating the Avatar? Why does she care? Does she… like me? _

No. Impossible. It just simply isn’t it the stars for Toph. Romance is something she crossed off her books a long time ago. 

“Not really.” Toph begins, carrying on with her mission. “I mostly hang out with him because he gets free stuff. Aang’s a nice kid, but he’s kinda…”

“Soft?” Yaling asks, a fond smile sprouting, and finally sits down next to Toph onto the beach chair.

“He’s the softest. Like a baby-turtle duck.” 

Yaling chuckles at the joke, in complete agreement with her. 

A sudden comfortness enters the atmosphere, allowing Yalin’s tense shoulders to fall. She feels…  _ safe _ here, here with Toph. Toph feels it too, she's felt it since the start. They’re not far from each other, inches apart, the closeness causes Yaling’s cheeks to color again. 

_ Control yourself, Yaling. _

“There are lots of people in the city who think that things have gone wrong since the end of The Hundred Year War.” 

“Wrong how?” Toph pushes.

“Things are out of balance. Especially the relationship between benders and non-benders.” Yaling wonders for a moment, pondering on whether she should mention the meeting. She looks up at Toph’s foggy, blue-white eyes. If she looks hard enough, she can see herself in them. She decides. “There’s a meeting tonight for concerned citizens of Cranefish Town. We want to return things back to their  _ natural  _ order, make things how they used to be. How they  _ should  _ be.”

She pauses for a moment, searching those mesmerizing eyes for any sign of discomfort. Nothing. “Would you like to join us?”

“Sure.” Toph perks up. “I’m a fan of the natural order.”

“I’ll give you the password.”

And for a moment Toph becomes conflicted. She’s grown fond for Yaling, a little too fond, more than she’d like to. The sincerity and sweetness in her voice makes Toph want to… want to  _ what?  _ Run away with her? Declare dying love for her?  _ No,  _ Toph thinks,  _ don’t sabotage this mission because you like the girl.  _

“Imbalance.”

*

As time goes by, and the sky grows a deep purple-pink, a small breeze begins whipping through the air. The beach — a place Toph would usually despise — is awfully peaceful today. There are no tittering people, no burning grains of sand damaging her feet, no blazing sun ready to barbecue her. There is only the quiet  _ wish  _ of the ocean, and the small breaths of a girl laying next to her.

Yaling lay flat on her back, gazing up at the colorful sky. The pink and purple mesh, creating a beautiful color, a sight that almost takes her breath away. She turns her head, facing the other girl laying next to her— Toph. Her heart strings pull at the thought of never being able to see the sky. 

“I think it’s amazing how good of an earthbender you are, despite the, uh…”

“ _ Disability? _ ” Toph teases.

“No! No, well,  _ yes  _ but—”

“It’s okay.” Toph laughs. “I know what you mean, and, thank you.” 

“Yeah..” Yaling mumbles to herself. 

Toph basks in the salty air and quiet breeze. There’s something about silence that—

“So,” Yaling says, breaking Toph’s peace. “do you think I’m improving?” 

“Sure.” Toph drawls.

“Really? I can't wait, we can have training everyday at my place. I mean— only if you want to come to my house, if you feel uncomfortable I totally understand. I just thought it would be more, y’know—”

“You talk too much.” Toph interrupts, turning on her side and facing Yaling.

Yaling’s heart thuds in her chest, both from embarrassment and nervousness. She’s got to stop rambling, force of habit, of course, but embarrassing nonetheless. 

Toph’s small breaths waft onto Yaling’s cheeks, which are currently burning. She wonders, for a moment, if she should turn as well. Her body begins twisting, her arms finding a comfortable position in the sand, and she lays her head upon them. The two earthbenders lay on the beach face to face, breathing quietly, chilly ocean waves falling over their feet. 

Goosebumps. All Toph feels are the goosebumps rising in her arms, the blush creeping in on her cheeks, and the closeness of Yaling. It swallows her whole.

“You’re pretty cool, you know.” Yaling says, so small that it comes out a whisper. Meant only for them to hear. 

“I know.” 

It makes them both break out into a fit of giggles. 

“You’re an idiot.” Yaling laughs.

“Hey, insulting you’re Sifu is not a great start.” Toph means to say it in a serious tone, but it drips in amusement along with her chuckles.

“Of course, Sifu.” 

The two laugh again, only inching closer to one another. After realizing this, they both come to a halt. The breeze becomes colder, but the body warmth of the girls keep each other blocked from the chilly weather. They stay there for who knows long, until the sky turns a deep and dark blue, enjoying each other’s company. Small whispers and giggles fill the air, sweet nothings come soon. 

All the while, Toph inwardly winces, knowing that in a few short hours, she’ll have to betray the same girl she’s fallen for.


End file.
